Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown help the Celtics defeat the Hornets

Jayson Tatum scored 34 points and Jaylen Brown scored 25 as the Boston Celtics held off the host Charlotte Hornets for a 124-109 victory on Friday night.

Derrick White added 17 points, Jrue Holiday scored 14 points and Neemias Queta had 12 points as the Celtics responded to their overtime loss at Indiana on Wednesday – their only setback this season. Tatum also grabbed 11 rebounds.

LaMelo Ball collected 31 points and four assists to lead the Hornets. Tre Mann had 23 and Miles Bridges delivered 14 points.

The Hornets knocked down 19 and made 3 points, but Boston outscored Charlotte at the free throw line 29-6.

Charlotte forward Grant Williams was sent off with 2:02 left in the fourth quarter after being warned for a flagrant foul.

The game pitted first-year Hornets coach Charles Lee against the team he led to the NBA title last season as an assistant coach.

Boston's 11-point lead in the third was cut to 85-84 after Mann made a layup with 2:39 left in the quarter. The Celtics entered the fourth period with a 92-86 lead.

Charlotte cut its deficit to 100-99 but was held to just two points over the next four-plus minutes as Boston's lead grew to 111-101 after Holiday's free throw with 4:13 to play.

The Hornets scored 21 points in the final 6 1/2 minutes of the first half to cut their deficit to 71-67 at halftime.

The Celtics shot 52 percent from the floor and made all ten free throws in the first half. Charlotte shot 51.1 percent from the floor and was 13 of 29 on 3-pointers before halftime.

Boston ended the first quarter with a 17-8 spurt to take a 40-25 lead.

Celtics guard Sam Hauser returned after missing three games with a back problem. He scored six points off the bench.

The teams will meet again in Charlotte on Saturday evening.

–Field level media